Columbia, South Carolina SperlingViews

"Moving to Colubmia, SC"

I may have the opportunity to relocate to the Columbia area for a job at USC. I'd appreciate feedback on where best to live in the area. I'm interested in the best schools, low crime, and sense of community. I'm moving from a slightly higher-cost area, so housing prices won't be an issue. I'm most concerned about the schools, as everything I've read suggests that South Carolina schools are not, on average, very good.

I have visited Columbia several times, and actually lived there for almost a year. The entire time I was there, there were constant, numerous sirens going off, a house next door to where I was living got robbed, by their own son. I had to lock my car door when walking only a couple of yards, to get gas. The people are plastic and the service at retail stores was horrible. I guess it's an okay place if you're in college and like to party all the time - but definitely not a moral, safe place to raise a family. People drive as if they're blind - so many accidents on the road. And the weather - always humid, stifling heat and no pretty change of seasons. Definitely not my cup of tea.

I have to leave Columbia in order to find work in my field. I will miss all the sunny days, mild winters. The summers are extremely hot & humid which means you can swim in a pool all summer. Just don't go out mid-day. Kind of like when I lived in Boston, we got cabin fever in February because we avoided going out. At least in Columbia summer is very nice in early morning & evening.I just love not having winter clothes. For about 4 months I don't even keep a sweater in my car. Just put on a sundress & go out!

I'm a 41 yr old African American female looking to leave STL. Wanting to distance myself from my family and start new. STL has more crime than most cities, so I think I can handle it. However, I don't want to move into it lol. I know what areas/zip codes to avoid here in the STL. What areas should I avoid in Columbia? How are race relations? I am experienced in social work but plan to transition into a professional sign language interpreter. Is it worth the move for someone like me?

"A church on every other corner, and a robbery on every corner where there isn't a church." That's my review of Columbia, South Carolina. I've had the displeasure of living in this hot, steamy mess for the past seven years. What's even more pathetic, is that I lived in one of the many small towns in proximity to Columbia before actually moving here. How I got here is a long story, but believe me, this is not a good place to live for any age group. Unless of course you're an ignorant, religious fool who knows nothing but glorified high school sports, eating, drinking, church-going, and sleeping with your neighbors spouse.
As far as the quisine goes, just about everything will fail here except all-you-can-eat buffets. Even the barbeque sucks, and this is supposed to be where you can get the best - the south!
I just hope that because of past-life Karma, I and my wife don't have to live the rest of our lives here. I shudder at the thought of dying here.
I've lived in other places, and with the exception of New Jersey, this is hovering around the bottom of the cesspool.

Columbia is located in the center of South Carolina at the junctions of Interstates 20, 26 and 77. It is South Carolina's most populated city, the state capital, the county seat of Richland County, the home of the University of South Carolina's main campus, and the site of the South Carolina State Fair each October. A small part of Columbia also extends into Lexington County. Here is a map of the Columbia area.
Columbia was settled by Europeans in the early 1700s and chosen to be the site of the new South Carolina state capital in 1786. It was chartered as a town in 1805 and as a city in 1854. Columbia was named for Christopher Columbus, and it was South Carolina's first planned city (wide streets arranged in a grid pattern) and the second planned city in the United States (Savannah was the first). Despite this, Columbia did not have a single paved street until Main Street was surfaced in 1908.Also, being located in the midlands of South Carolina you're only 1-3 hours from the mountains or the beach. So make this your destination to live and rise a family.

Maybe Idon't see it but the roads are third world,the culture is non-existent occassional artsy gigs at Colonial Center.If your married and settled, very settled Cola could be ok. But if you are adventurous,and enjoy meeting open minded diversified educated compassionate folks Cola town is not that.Study history could make it a little more interesting.The Vista,Five points thats it.Oh now USC is a great college.If you need excitement RUN BOY RUN!!!

Everyone is moving to South Carolina, so cheap, so warm, so beautiful. Everyone is moving to South Carolina, so cheap, so warm, so beautiful. Everyone is moving to South Carolina, so cheap, so warm, so beautiful.

Columbia South Carolina is in a mild climate, especially in winter. There is almost no snow here. The largest training facility for the Army is also in the area, so there is a lot of military presence. You are also not far from Myrtle Beach which is a a nice family destination. It has several good interstates running through it so it provides good access to east/west and north/south travels.

I've been living in Columbia now for 3 months and I found out why auto insurance is higher here than when I lived in Raleigh NC. The drivers here seem to be make a lot more aggressive moves, cut in front of you from out of no where would be an example. Many cars here show signs of front end damage.

I am from PA and relocated here 4 years ago. Housing is less expensive but services and basic products are much more costly due to a lack of competition among most retailers. My biggest complaint has to do with something no one has commented on and is yet extremely disturbing. If you happen to have a fairly decent job with pay above 90K (average in most NE cities) this puts you in the sudo upper class in columbia. I have found the overwhelming majority of people who consider themselves Christian college educated and successful to be so out of control self obsorbed, arrogant, fake, and generally unfriendly in every regard. Most native columbians are at the top of the list when it comes to being self centered and fake. The entire southern charm nonsense is long gone and these ignorant money hungry fools have some sort of weird misguided confidence about themselves all the while living in a third rate city that no one outside of a 100 mile radius cares about. My advice is to stay far far away from this town unless of course you like to dress and act like everyone else with no individualism or interest about yourself whatsoever and if you like to wear your religion on your sleeve (of course Baptist or another form of Christianity, except Catholicism). Oh and the most important thing you will need to do if you hope to have any chance of fitting in with these ignorant self centered phonies is to buy a pontoon boat as soon as you get here, put a Gamecock flag on it, and read stories about Gamecock football every day since that is all these clowns seem to care about. Go to Charleston, its the only City in SC worth a dime, the rest should float out to sea and become another third world country no one cares about.

I moved to Columbia five months ago, and have been entirely pleasantly suprised at what a great place Columbia is to live! There is a good bit of culture for a mid-sized city (Latin Festival was fun, Gay Pride Festival drew several thousand, one of the biggest annual St. Patrick's Day festivals in the nation, SEC college football, great nightlife in Five Points, many unique, "non-chain" restaurants in the Vista area, tubing on Congaree River., top-notch alternative weekly newspaper, etc.)
I have found the poplulation here diverse and open-minded, and not nearly as predominantly conservative as one might expect. Whether you are conservative or liberal, white or black or hispanic, gay or straight, I think you will find a place in Columbia for you.
And, the crime is not nearly as bad as some have said. Most of the crime occurs in certain neighborhoods of town that you have no reason to ever go to. I regularly walk alone, at night, in the two main nightlife districts, and I have always felt completely safe. Sure, crime happens, but please name one sizeable city in America without any crime issues??

After traveling extensively for the past several years, I have recently decided to move back to Columbia, primarily for its overall quality of life. For me, it is the perfect size city: not too big, yet not too small (a common saying is that Columbia is "small enough where you always know someone, but big enough where you never know everyone!")
In terms of outdoors/nature activity, Lake Murray is a wonderful resource for fishing and boating, located just outside of the city (20 minute drive from downtown). Also, Lake Carolina, in the Northeast, is rapidly attracting new residents. The Three Rivers Greenway, located in downtown Columbia, offers 6-8 miles of walking/biking along the shores of the Congaree River. Columbia is two hours from some of the best beaches in America, which makes for great weekend getaways (living in Columbia, you don't need to take a week-long vacation to go to the beach, you can make a weekend trip, or even a day trip.) Also, Columbia is a 2-3 hour drive for "Mountain Weekend trips," as well.
Columbia offers a great entertainment/nightlife scene, with two major entertainment districts. The Vista district offers over 50 restaurants and bars, ample shopping, hotels, and upscale condos. The Five Points district offers plenty more nightlife, though geared more to the college-age crowd.
Columbia is indeed very hot during the summer months. However, the spring and fall are extremely comfortable climates, and it rarely snows during the winter (perhaps one "big snow" every 3-4 years, and flurries once per year.)
If you move to Columbia, I think you will be find our city to be a pleasurable place to call home.

I have read the online reviews of Columbia and the surrounding areas, and I must say, some of the reviews are a little out-of-line. Columbia doesn't have slum neighborhoods everywhere you look, and there aren't shootings in every neighborhood. It may be that you need an experienced guide to show you the rest of our great city. One of the greatest features Columbia has to offer is its small-town appeal. We don't have the major sky-scrapers of other cities, nor do we have the population you might expect. Traffic is bad in a couple of areas, but knowing when, and alternate routes can make commuting a breeze. Look me up if you're ever in need of an insider's view of the greater Columbia region!

I have come to realize that Columbia IS the best kept secret of the "South".
This comment comes from a former Ohio "Buckeye" who migrated from the North. The "locals" could not be more welcoming nor kind. The cost of living is managable yet growth is evident by some 30% increase in population of the general standard statical metropolitian area since 2000. The city is not unlike other state capitals which has as its center one of the major universities of the United States. The city has depended upon the University of South Carolina to provide many of the cultural events for the area. The city is attempting to bring in plays/musicals/ballets with major talents but finds itself competing with the Charlotte-Charleston communities for such talents. Columbia lies in a geographic area between the major cities yet no more that 1 1/2 hour drive to Charlotte and Charleston, and about 3 hours to Atlanta. One finds upon entering the city area that the road system is well established allowing a motorist to move throughout the surrounding areas without needing to exit from the highway. While Columbia is land locked some 2-hours from the Ocean there are multiple lakes surrounding the city with the largest being a man-made 15 by 7 mile Lake Murray built by the utility company serving the area. We have found the lake still primed for much more development at somewhat reasonable prices. The general community offers one just about anything one would want. The general area is referred to as the "Bible belt" but we have concluded that that does reflect the consevative nature of the community but in no way suggests that it has resulted in a lack of innovation of thought nor action. The University offers some of the most outstanding disciplines of the educational community throughout the U.S. and perhaps the World. The University brings in the diversity to the general community and welcomes what the multiple cultures offer. Not many people have had the opportunity of visiting the Columbia commuity and that is OK for those of us who would like to keep this the "best kept secret of the South".

What is their really to do here. The main things here are the schools and churches. It's nothing positive for these kids to do here so they try to create excitement although very destructive. This is a place more for retirees. If i make this my permanent home trust and believe i will be doing alot of traveling.

I was reading the reviews of Columbia, SC and the many inquiries about relocation to the area. Recently, I was in the area for an interview and deciding if it is a right fit for me. Before visiting, I did research crime rates for the area and the statistics are overwhelmingly high. While there, I was disappointed in the city. Most of the area appears to be slums (numerous strip malls having several empty buildings--not because there new buildings)and when a good area appears it is not long before entering a very bad section again. It is unfortunate because Columbia has such beautiful historical homes and buildings downtown. What I did learn while there is that the two better areas to live are Lexington and Northeast Columbia. The Harbison area is where the shopping areas are located. It is very, very congested in this area and the interstate backs up after 7 A.M. if you are headed anywhere further in to Columbia expect traffic. Those are my personal observations, hope it helps.

A a whole Columbia and SC seems like a relatively low cost of living location. But once you factor in the taxes here, and primarily the personal property tax on cars, motorcycles, boats, rec vehicle, then this place can get rather expensive. But is you are more concerned about housing, then this could be a nice place to live, as housing is relatively inexpensive.